Let’s remember when Dr. Frasier Crane first appeared on television, on this day in 1984 (September 27)
If you showed me a person who could predict that a character in a sitcom set in a Boston bar would become synonymous with Seattle a decade later, I would show you a liar. Still, amazingly, that’s exactly what happened. And it all began exactly 35 years ago today.
The season three season premiere of “Cheers” aired on this day in 1984. It would be the first time Frasier Crane, played by Kelsey Grammar, would appear on screen. Wikipedia describes the episode thusly: “After the breakup between Sam and Diane in the season-two finale, “I’ll Be Seeing You”, Sam has been drinking and womanizing for months. After Diane left, the bar went through eight other waitresses (with whom Sam slept, leaving Carla and Coach to run Cheers). When Diane returns home from the sanitarium (where she went to forget Sam), she learns about Sam’s relapse from Coach and asks her psychiatrist friend Frasier Crane to help Sam recover. Sam thinks Diane still has feelings for him, not knowing that Diane and Frasier are romantically involved.”
Ooooh.
And here’s how the online Encyclopedia tells the character’s origin story:
Frasier Crane, an alumnus of Harvard University, Harvard Medical School,[5] and Oxford University, debuts in the two-part episode “Rebound” (1984), the premiere of Cheers season three (1984–85), as a psychiatrist to help bartender Sam Malone recover from a brief return to alcoholism and also cope with his breakup from Diane Chambers. Also Diane’s fiancé throughout the third season,[6] he and Diane are supposed to wed in Italy in “Rescue Me” (1985), the finale of season three. However, in “Birth, Death, Love, and Rice” (1985), the premiere of season four (1985–86), Frasier enters the bar and tells Sam that he was jilted by Diane at the altar in Europe.[6] A despondent Frasier, who gave up his practice to go to Europe, loses his job lecturing at a university in Europe. Later in season four, he begins to regularly attend Cheers for drinks and finds himself depending more and more on alcohol. In “The Triangle” (1986), Sam feigns symptoms of depression, planned by Diane, to help Frasier recover from alcoholism and regain his own self-confidence. This leads Frasier to conclude that Sam’s symptoms indicate his love for Diane. However, upon arrival Frasier sees Sam and Diane arguing in the bar office, Sam admits the whole plan. Furious, Frasier declares himself to be sober, refuses to be a part of their relationship, and vows to practice psychiatry again.
The character finally becomes a permanent fixture among the other bar patrons by the end of season three, and adds to his comedic repertoire an occasional penchant for commenting on the personality flaws of the other Cheers regulars, while still managing to remain a likable addition to the gang.[7][8] As his role is expanded, Frasier becomes romantically involved with a stereotypical “intelligent, ice queen”[9] Lilith Sternin (Bebe Neuwirth). Their first date in “Second Time Around” (1986) does not go well; they exchange insults toward each other until she leaves the bar, disappointing him. In “Abnormal Psychology” (1986), Frasier and Lilith feel mutual attraction after Diane gives Lilith a makeover. At first reluctant to start anew, they then decide to go on another date. They live together for a year before being married one month before “Our Hourly Bread” (1988) as revealed in the episode, and give birth to their son Frederick in “The Stork Brings a Crane” (1989). (In “Smotherly Love” (1992), they re-enact their wedding to please Lilith’s mother Betty (Marilyn Cooper), who was irritated that she had not been present for their marriage).
In “One Hugs, the Other Doesn’t” (1992), Frasier is revealed to have been previously married to Nanette Guzman (Emma Thompson), now known as the popular children’s entertainer Nanny G. When Nanette sings a song implying her possible feelings for Frasier (despite being fully aware he’s remarried), Lilith attacks her during Frederick’s second birthday party.
When “Cheers” ran it’s course, Frasier moved to Seattle and got a job as a talk radio host. You know the rest.
Before we go, let’s look at the video tape:
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